Desert Flakes
by suzie2b
Summary: Snow in the desert.


**Disclaimer:** _ **The Rat Patrol**_ **is not my property. They come out to play sometimes, then I send them home.**

 **Desert Flakes**

 **By Suzie2b**

 **It had been at least 110 degrees that day. As the sun went down, the four soldiers of the Rat Patrol were grateful for the cooling respite.**

 **When Tully woke up he noticed that the fire had died. He shivered as he stood up and wrapped the blanket around his shoulders. He stirred the still hot coals and waited until the fire was going again before he went to relieve Hitch on watch.**

 **As Tully walked to the top of the wadi, he looked up at the dark sky. Clouds had moved in, obscuring the moon and stars completely. He knelt next to Hitch and whispered, "Hope it doesn't rain."**

 **Hitch nodded. "Yeah, there isn't any cover out here to get out of it if it does."**

" **Everything quiet?"**

" **Yep."**

 **Tully gave Hitch a pat on the shoulder. "Okay, go get some sleep."**

 **#################**

 **Tully sat cross-legged on the sand. As an hour passed, it got colder. When he started to shiver, Tully stood up and pulled the blanket tighter around his shoulders. He started to walk in hopes of warming himself up.**

 **It wasn't unusual for nights on the desert to get cold, but it sure seemed colder than usual. Another hour passed, it was about two in the morning, and a light wind began to blow. Not long after that Tully caught something out of the corner of his eye. Convinced it was just an odd bug flitting around, he ignored it.**

 **A few minutes later more "bugs" started swirling around his head. With a curious frown Tully put out a hand and let several land in his palm. Snow! He looked up as the large flakes fell around him. "Wow!" He felt the cold flakes of snow on his face and smiled. Who would've thought it could snow in the desert?**

 **Tully went down to camp and shook Moffitt awake. The sergeant looked up at the private and asked groggily, "Is it my turn on watch already?"**

 **Tully grinned. "Nah. I just thought you might want to see this."**

 **Moffitt sat up and looked around. Realization suddenly hit him and he smiled as he said, "Amazing!"**

 **Tully woke Troy and Hitch and together they watched the snow come down, giving the desert an eerie white glow. As the hours passed, the snow coated the landscape, and as the horizon began to lighten, it gave the sand and dunes a new depth that was beautiful.**

 **The snow stopped and the clouds burned away as the sun rose. The four men of the Rat Patrol sat around their fire with mugs of coffee. Hitch asked quietly, "How can it snow in the desert?"**

 **Moffitt smiled. "The conditions have to be just right."**

 **Tully wondered aloud, "Do you think it's snowed out here before?"**

 **Troy said, "It wasn't long after I got here that I came across an old Arab man telling stories to some kids. There was a guy standing next to me … I think he was the father of one of the kids. For some reason he started translating the story to me. The story was about a time some sixty years ago when a blanket of snow covered the entire Sahara."**

 **Moffitt nodded. "I've heard that story too. Many believed that Allah was punishing them for some misdeed and was going to freeze them to death."**

 **Hitch stood up and walked to one of the jeeps as he said, "Well, it's not going to last, so we need to get started."**

" **Get started with what?"**

 **Hitch quickly scooped snow off the hood of the jeep, formed a ball, and hurled it at his target … hitting Tully in the back of his helmeted head.**

 **Snow began to drip down the back of his shirt as he slowly stood up and stated, "Oh no, you didn't just do that." Tully turned and caught Hitch scooping up another snowball. He grinned. "You are in so much trouble!"**

 **Hitch laughed and let the snowball fly. However, it missed its intended target, very nearly hitting Troy, as Tully ran for ammunition at the other jeep.**

 **The sergeant shook his head and stood up as he said to Moffitt, "We'd better get out of range."**

 **Moffitt chuckled as he stood to follow. "I think you're right."**

 **The sergeants took blankets and found a safe place to sit and watch Hitch and Tully's raucous snowball fight as the sun came up to warm and melt the desert.**


End file.
